Materials Selection Policy

Introduction

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries will select and preserve, without bias or limitation on the right to know, a comprehensive collection of print, non-print, and electronically accessed materials to meet the informational, educational, recreational, and cultural needs of all citizens of Glynn County.

The final authority for the determination of policy to guide the selection and acquisition of library material is vested in the Board of Trustees of the Marshes of Glynn Libraries.

The ultimate responsibility for selecting materials for the library locations rests with the Marshes of Glynn Libraries Director. However, under the Director’s authority, he/she delegates selection responsibilities to appropriate staff members. Suggestions from the general public are encouraged and are evaluated by the staff based on the library’s criteria for selection.

As ours is a free society, the Marshes of Glynn Libraries will provide access to information in all fields and from all points of view. The library, in collecting and acquiring publications and related materials representing the widest diversity of views, will include items which reflect controversial, unorthodox, or even unpopular ideas.

Guidelines for Selection and Use of Materials

Selectors first evaluate or judge the intrinsic merits and quality of the materials available for selection using rigorous evaluative criteria. They select from the available options those items that best meet the needs of the community, while weighing fiscal and spatial limitations with the availability of the material elsewhere.

The criteria for selection of materials for the Marshes of Glynn Libraries collections will include the following:

Quality of writing/production (as determined by reviews)

Importance of subject matter

Timeliness

Reputation of the publisher/producers

Readability and popular appeal

Authoritativeness

Reputation and significance of the author/artist/composer/producer/etc.

Format and price

Request from patrons

Recommendations of work in standard review sources or inclusion in standard bibliographies

Value (permanent, current, temporary, educational, recreational)

Potential local use

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries do not purchase textbooks

Collection Maintenance

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries use weeding as a collection development tool. Its purpose is to maintain library collections of high quality appropriate in size to the capacity of the library location which is current, accessible, and appealing to users. All collections need to be weeded on a continuing and scheduled basis. Regardless of use, materials should be removed if they are damaged, worn, have missing pages, contain dated/obsolete information, are unused duplicates, or have been replaced by a newer edition.

Patron Request for Purchase Consideration

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries welcomes suggestions from patrons for titles to purchase. All suggested titles are considered according to the criteria outlined in the Materials Selection Policy. Not all titles suggested will be purchased.

Reconsideration of Materials

Any patron has the right to request reconsideration of an item in the collection. Should a member of the community question the place of a book or other material in the collection, he or she may submit a Reconsideration of Materials form to the Marshes of Glynn Libraries Director. This form is available at all library locations. Library staff will reevaluate the item to see if it meets the stated evaluative criteria, and review the selection decision to see if the item falls within the Materials Selection Policy. The Marshes of Glynn Libraries supports the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, Free Access to Libraries for Minors, and Freedom to View a Statement.